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Tom Stoppard Quotes

Playwright

Tom Stoppard is a renowned British playwright, born on July 3, 1937. His works are known for their witty dialogue and complex structure, with notable plays including 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and 'The Real Thing'. Stoppard has received multiple Tony Awards and Olivier Awards for his contributions to theatre.

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All Ifs Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Writing People Thinking Knows Play Arcadia World Art

Famous Tom Stoppard Quotes

“You always end up with too much, so it's good to be part of the conversation about not just what you can omit, but how you are going to do the grammar of the omission, how you make things continue to work when there's something missing. It's your last chance to rewrite.”

Ends Lasts Chance Too Much Missing Conversation Grammar Omission Last Chance Missing It

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Rewriting isn't just about dialogue, it's the order of the scenes, how you finish a scene, how you get into a scene. All these final decisions are best made when you're there, watching. It's really enjoyable, but you've got to be there at the director's invitation. You can't just barge in and say, "I'm the writer."”

Made Order Decision Scene Directors Finals Dialogue Invitations Enjoyable Rewriting Barges

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Most British playwrights of my generation, as well as younger folks, apparently feel somewhat obliged to Russian literature - and not only those writing for theatres. Russian literature is part of the basic background knowledge for any writer. So there is nothing exceptional in the interest I had towards Russian literature and theatre. Frankly, I couldn't image what a culture would be like without sympathy towards Russian literature and Russia, whether we'd be talking about drama or Djagilev.”

“Having translated two plays by Chekhov, and not speaking Russian myself - I cannot say one sentence. This may shock people... However, I am not shocked, as it is not hard to find out what the words mean.”

People May Mean Two Hard Play Sentences Shock Shocked One Sentence Chekhov

Author:Tom Stoppard

“To be frank: the translations that often sound bad in the mouths of the actors, these have often been done by linguists.”

Done Actors Sound Mouths Frank Translations Linguists

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I don't write at the library, because I smoke when I work or would like the possibility of a smoke. Also, I need to be at my own desk.”

Needs Writing My Own Possibility Library Smoke Desks

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I smoke too much whether it's going well or badly. After all these years, I definitely associate having a pen in my hand with having an ashtray just out of eye line.”

Years Wells Hands Eye Lines Too Much Smoke Pens Associates Ashtrays

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I like plays where people talk a lot. Conversation is sustained. Argument is sustained.”

People Play Conversation Argument

Author:Tom Stoppard

“No problem is insoluble, given a big enough plastic bag.”

Enough Problem Bigs Given Bags Plastic No Problem Plastic Bags

Book:Jumpers

Source: Jumpers

“Writing a play is like smashing that [glass] ashtray, filming it in slow motion, and then running the film in reverse, so that the fragments of rubble appear to fly together. You start - or at least I start - with the rubble.”

Writing Play Running Together Film Glasses Reverse Fragments Smashing Rubble Slow Motion Ashtrays

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Every age thinks it's the modern age, but this one really is. Electricity is going to change everything. Everything!”

Thinking Age Modern Electricity Modern Age

Book:The Invention of Love

Source: The Invention of Love

“No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.”

Ifs Matter Presses Imperfect Free Press Imperfect Things

Book:Arcadia

Source: Arcadia

“Act first! The ideas will follow, and if not - well, it's progress”

Ifs Firsts Wells Ideas Progress

Book:Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia

Source: Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia

“An artist is the magician put among men to gratify - capriciously - their urge for immortality.”

Men Artist Immortality Urges Magician

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Because children grow up, we think a child's purpose is to grow up. But a child's purpose is to be a child. Nature doesn't disdain what lives only for a day. It pours the whole of itself into the each moment. We don't value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last.”

Thinking Children Made Whole Moments Lasts Purpose Values Grows Growing Up Built Lilies Disdain

Book:Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia Play 2

Source: Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia Play 2

“Biography is the mesh through which real life escapes.”

Real Real Life Biographies Mesh

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.”

Knows Lasts Chance Too Much Childhood Last Chance

Book:Tom Stoppard Plays 2: The Dissolution of Dominic Boot; 'M' is for Moon Among Other Things; If You're Glad I'll Be Frank; Albert's Bridge; Where Are They Now?; Artist Descending a Staircase; The Dog It Was That Died; In the Native State; On 'Dover Beach'

Source: Tom Stoppard Plays 2: The Dissolution of Dominic Boot; 'M' is for Moon Among Other Things; If You're Glad I'll Be Frank; Albert's Bridge; Where Are They Now?; Artist Descending a Staircase; The Dog It Was That Died; In the Native State; On 'Dover Beach'

“Fifty-five crystal spheres geared to God's crankshaft is my idea of a satisfying universe. I can't think of anything more trivial than quarks, quasars, big bangs and black holes.”